Filming Locations:

Company:

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Todd Haynes noted that when he got his favorite actor and actress, Christian Bale and Julianne Moore, together to shoot the still photographs early on in the film, how different their acting styles were. Moore kept joking and laughing with Haynes and only a few photos could be used where she had a straight face, while in every shot the more method-based Bale appeared serious and intense.See more »

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The phone at the Peacocks house is too modern for the time - the cord going into the handset had a clip in cord versus being attached directly to the piece.See more »

Quotes:

[first lines] Narrator:There he lies. God rest his soul, and his rudeness. A devouring public can now share the remains of his sickness, and his phone numbers. There he lay: poet, prophet, outlaw, fake, star of electricity. Nailed by a peeping tom, who would soon discover... Jude:A poem is like a naked person... Narrator:- even the ghost was more than one person. Arthur:...but a song is something that walks by itself.See more »

The biopicture can be a difficult kind of picture to picture. Even more
so when you have no intention of divulging the name of your subject.
And dare I say it, yet further still when you insist on casting at
least six people to play the lead role. This is the charm behind 'I'm
Not There' - Todd Haynes' tribute to the life and times of Bob Dylan
that recently lit up the Festival di Venezia. Biographic cinema is a
frightening beast, some films are stuffed full of information while
others attempt to exactly mimic their respective studies. There are
however very few that play with their quarry, flitting from fact to
fiction so quickly that in the end we know not what to believe. In
reality, the life of Robert Dylan was exactly this mess of lies,
grandeur, childishness, arrogance and genius. One of almost
unbelievable occurrences that when whispered about long enough become
carefully set in stone. Todd Haynes understands this fact and so goes
after it with a stance of almost awed respect, yet as an onlooker -
crafting a mockumentary that is so rich in character and love and
attention to detail that we can't help but be drawn in. I've heard
early reviews stating that 'I'm Not There' will make the Dylanites gush
and the normal folk sleep. The fact is this couldn't be further from
the truth - being a person that is indifferent to the music appears
only to heighten the enjoyment.

Somewhere during the last five years, writer/director Haynes came upon
the slightly trampled idea of conducting a Bob Dylan biography movie.
Nothing original in itself, though with one idea to make it slightly
different from what the likes of Scorsese had attempted a few years
back. He would use multiple actors for 'I'm Not There', six in fact -
to portray the iconic figure. And what an inspired decision it is. The
unrecognisable and slender form of Cate Blanchett steals the show,
melting into her eye-rubbing, nose-twitching, lip-conscious take that
is only too quick to lash those in proximity with a witful tongue.
Almost as idiosyncratic is Ben Whishaw's sarcasm-laced drawling poet
Dylan. Who prompts guffaws when tiresomely declaring his name as
"R-I-M-B-A-U-D" to an arresting police officer. The eccentric duo are
displayed primarily in overexposed black and white, and complementing
this in Technicolor are the equally impressive Christian Bale and Heath
Ledger. Whom fall upon the unwashed, shaded rocker Dylan with equally
strong performances. To complete the musical sextuplets are Richard
Gere and the delightful Marcus Carl Franklin, these two are the
tall-tale Dylans. A jaded western cowboy and a blues-singing black
child respectively, both adding another more fictional dimension to the
character. They are almost opposite ends of the Dylan-spectrum, and are
introduced at the opening and closing of the film to further embolden
this point. Franklin in particular impresses, tugging at the humor
strings again with his dry recollections of a life on the musical road.

The host of supporting actors/actresses in 'I'm Not There' do well to
further the films themes. With Charlotte Gainsbourg and Julianne Moore
taking up the posts of drama and documentary accordingly. Each plays
one of the two most important women in Dylan's life, with Gainsbourg
(Sara Lownds) cooking up a memorable on-screen chemistry - or lack
thereof - with Ledger's character. She is instantly attractive across a
smoky diner, yet this attraction soon wanes as romance stagnates.
Never-ending tours take their toll and the once exciteful,
scooter-riding relationship crumbles. Moore's character (Joan Baez) is
more reflective, playing her whole part as if interviewed
enthusiastically many years on. My only problem is with the later
segments of 'I'm Not There'. Particularly those featuring the bearded
and bespectacled Richard Gere. Many know the story of Pat Garrett and
Billy the Kid, and this part is essential when regarding the plot. My
qualm is that it feels almost tacked on as an afterthought, trotting
outside the clear themed borders that the film has laid out so
meticulously. This only adds to the ballooning length of the film, and
so did begin to drag during these Wild-western plot points. That said,
this hardly takes away from an experience that is both visceral and
enlightening. Comedic and pensive. Wild and tender. A life, in all
possible senses of the word.

Related Links

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.